# Do i need air tight containers to store tobacco?



## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

Or can i just use my opened tins with the caps on them?
I just got some stuff from C&D, and it has a normal plastic lid, one that im sure its not 100% airtight.

do you only need airtight containers to store tobacco without them going bad... or is that just for aging?


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## Rock31 (Sep 30, 2010)

Mason Jars I believe are the preferred method of storing your tobacco.


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

Hm... too bad im not in Mass near my folks. my grandmother used to make homemade jam all the time and has hundreds <.<

what local stores would carry them?

also out of curiosity.. if i got some online.. im not gonna over-dry out my tobacco by leaving them "open" am i?


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

Mason jars are your avrage storing method. I guess it all depends on how long you are going to store it. If its going to be a while I would use air tight containers like masons. If it just has a plastic lid on it I would throw it in something a bit more secure(if short term) even a freezer storage plastic bag, or a tupaware container purhaps.

I'm not sure if masons are seasonal, but places like walmart, albertsons, king soopers.Maybe even walgreens in the kitchen sections. Sometimes they cary them all year round. Not sure what stores you have in newport.


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## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

Zogg said:


> Hm... too bad im not in Mass near my folks. my grandmother used to make homemade jam all the time and has hundreds <.<
> 
> what local stores would carry them?
> 
> also out of curiosity.. if i got some online.. im not gonna over-dry out my tobacco by leaving them "open" am i?


I get my jars at Walmart, less than $10 a dozen of the 8 oz. size I like to use.

I have kept tobaccos I was smoking on occasionally in the plastic lid tins for upwards of 6 weeks without a huge drying effect, but I would transfer to jars if I thought something was going to live any longer than that.


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

Alright, i normally never shop at wally world, but there is one near where i go grocery shopping (woo market basket!) so i'll grab a dozen. 8 oz is perfect, most of my stuff is 2-6 oz anyway, and theyre all in freezer bags or the tins they came in.

for tins like.. say.. esoterica i grabbed a tin of margate to try a nice full english, and it seems to seal pretty well.. is this airtight after opening/screwing it back on there pretty tight? or just say screw it and put everything in mason jars? XD

edit: holy crap fast replies XD thanks!


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

If you do not have wally world or other store on hand try your local thrift store, or second hand store. Most have a section for nick nacks and glass wares and you can usually pick up some mason jars for less then a dollar.


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## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

Zogg said:


> Alright, i normally never shop at wally world, but there is one near where i go grocery shopping (woo market basket!) so i'll grab a dozen. 8 oz is perfect, most of my stuff is 2-6 oz anyway, and theyre all in freezer bags or the tins they came in.
> 
> for tins like.. say.. esoterica i grabbed a tin of margate to try a nice full english, and it seems to seal pretty well.. is this airtight after opening/screwing it back on there pretty tight? or just say screw it and put everything in mason jars? XD
> 
> edit: holy crap fast replies XD thanks!


Most round tins I pop to smoke, like Dunhills or Rattrays never last long enough afterwards to make me re-jarring 2 oz. worth an issue. I have jarred some things I didn't like a whole lot in hopes of sampling it months later when my palate has changed some. I would tend to go with "If I am going to smokethis blend regularly through the whole tin leave it, if I am sampling bowls here and there over a long time, jar it".

The rule of thumb I have read about is 2:1 jar size to tobacco. That said, it's the rare flake I can get a whole 4 oz. of in an 8 oz. jelly jar, usually 3 or 3-1/2 ounces.


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

Xodar said:


> Most round tins I pop to smoke, like Dunhills or Rattrays never last long enough afterwards to make me re-jarring 2 oz. worth an issue. I have jarred some things I didn't like a whole lot in hopes of sampling it months later when my palate has changed some. I would tend to go with "If I am going to smokethis blend regularly through the whole tin leave it, if I am sampling bowls here and there over a long time, jar it".
> 
> The rule of thumb I have read about is 2:1 jar size to tobacco. That said, it's the rare flake I can get a whole 4 oz. of in an 8 oz. jelly jar, usually 3 or 3-1/2 ounces.


yeah i purchased a bunch of different bulk blends / a few tins (like purple cow) that i couldnt find in bulk, since im just getting into pipes. no way im smoking through all of this in the next few months. so longer term storage is needed!

i'll grab a bunch of 8 oz ones, or even 4 oz if i can find some.. good to know ont he 1/2 air 1/2 tobacco thing, i woulda filled em right up without thinking of it *dur*


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

Just to add my 2 cents and sum up. If you're storing for a week or two, the original tin with the plastic lid is ok. You can go a little longer with round metal tin as long as the seal is good but I wouldn't go more than a month. Any longer than that, get the mason jars. You want air tight but not vacuum sealed as well.


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## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

Zogg said:


> yeah i purchased a bunch of different bulk blends / a few tins (like purple cow) that i couldnt find in bulk, since im just getting into pipes. no way im smoking through all of this in the next few months. so longer term storage is needed!
> 
> i'll grab a bunch of 8 oz ones, or even 4 oz if i can find some.. good to know ont he 1/2 air 1/2 tobacco thing, i woulda filled em right up without thinking of it *dur*


 Haha, you would have been right anyhow though. There will be enough air present to age regardless, and since we're talking storage not age that's not the problem. I just can't physically stuff any more than 4 oz of tobacco into a jar designed to hold 8 ounces of liquid. That is mostly flake though, I don't have a lot of experience jarring loose tobacco, so take that for what it's worth.


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## BrewShooter (Mar 17, 2011)

Xodar said:


> Haha, you would have been right anyhow though. There will be enough air present to age regardless, and since we're talking storage not age that's not the problem. I just can't physically stuff any more than 4 oz of tobacco into a jar designed to hold 8 ounces of liquid. That is mostly flake though, I don't have a lot of experience jarring loose tobacco, so take that for what it's worth.


The flake does pack a lot better in the jars. I'd be hard pressed to get more than 2 ounces of loose tobacco in an 8 ounce jar without starting to pack it down quite a bit.


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## FlimFlammery (Feb 25, 2011)

Zogg said:


> Alright, i normally never shop at wally world, but there is one near where i go grocery shopping (woo market basket!) so i'll grab a dozen. 8 oz is perfect, most of my stuff is 2-6 oz anyway, and theyre all in freezer bags or the tins they came in.


Another thing to look for while you're at wal-mart is a jarring funnel. It's not absolutely necessary but it sure comes in handy when trying to stuff loose cut tobacco into the mouth of an 8 oz jar.


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

Zogg said:


> Alright, i normally never shop at wally world


LOL That's the brilliance behind Walmart. They have enough crap to ensure that there will always be at least one thing you need that will eventually require you visit their store. Once you're inside their store, you're hooked.:behindsofa:


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

shannensmall said:


> LOL That's the brilliance behind Walmart. They have enough crap to ensure that there will always be at least one thing you need that will eventually require you visit their store. Once you're inside their store, you're hooked.:behindsofa:


lol, Yeah.. They're helpful when the closest place that probably had mason jars would be like.. an hour+ away..

oh well XD

luckily i can resist the wally world lure and only grabbed mason jars.. and didnt pull a south park and get mason jars.. and a toaster.. and pliers.. a shotgun.. some fishing rods.. a bike... and a rack of tennis balls.

oh.. and some pizza+cookies in one box.. (yeah i saw that there today.. FML..)

anyway.. i have 12 8 oz mason jars, all filled already (hur)


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Zogg said:


> lol, Yeah.. They're helpful when the closest place that probably had mason jars would be like.. an hour+ away..
> 
> oh well XD
> 
> ...


Ah, nothing like a shopping spree!

I've been grabbing the wide mouth 4 ounce jars from Wallyworld because I'm trying all sorts of blends as a newbie to pipe tobacco. Oddly enough, 4 ounces bulk ends up being two jars?! (go figure)...so I'm using the second jar to age and see how I like them. 
One's to smoke now and the other I'll sample at various ages.
As an aside...my wife keeps looking at me funny when I ask her to pick up another 4 pack of the 4 ounce wide mouth jars....she hasn't seen my nightstand drawer.....!


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

These are the 8 oz ones I like. Squat and widemouth. I pack close to 4 oz in one, mashing it right in there. Their only drawback is that they don't stack well

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3125TUrq1UL._SS400_.jpg


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

freestoke said:


> These are the 8 oz ones I like. Squat and widemouth. I pack close to 4 oz in one, mashing it right in there. Their only drawback is that they don't stack well
> 
> http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3125TUrq1UL._SS400_.jpg


i was going to get those, but they were $3 more for a dozen than the taller ones i got, mine have a wide enough top anyway, so no biggie


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

Zogg said:


> lol, Yeah.. They're helpful when the closest place that probably had mason jars would be like.. an hour+ away..
> 
> oh well XD
> 
> ...


Dude, how the heck did you know what my shopping list was yesterday!?! Scary....:attention:


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## thewileyman (Apr 14, 2009)

Speaking of storing tobacco... how important is it to sterilize mason jars before putting tobacco in them?

I just discovered that the "Emma" jars I've been storing tobacco must not be sealing as well as I thought, because my Chelsea Morning and Britt's Balkan are much, much dryer than when I put them in there... not even sure if they're salvageable. So I bought a dozen Mason jars this morning, but I was wondering how vital it is to boil them or whatever before using them.


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## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

thewileyman said:


> Speaking of storing tobacco... how important is it to sterilize mason jars before putting tobacco in them?


If they're new, they should be good to go already. You aren't canning food.

Remember that tobacco gets left outside and then bundled in open warehouses for years at a time. A new glass jar is probably the cleanest place it's ever been in.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

CWL said:


> Remember that tobacco gets left outside and then bundled in open warehouses for years at a time. A new glass jar is probably the cleanest place it's ever been in.


And probably the cleanest that jar will ever be again.


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## thewileyman (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated!


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

We really need a short (and locked) sticky on jars that covers the following FAQ.

Should I put my pipe tobacco in jars?

*YES, unless you'll smoke it all under a month's time.*

Where do I find jars?

*Sizable stores that sell food will have them - most year round.*

But I found an online source where I can pay way too much plus shipping for a heavy item!

*JUST DRIVE TO THE STORE! They're ludicrously cheap and plentiful.*

What about vacuum sealing? What about sterilization?

*NO, neither are necessary, and they may have negative consequences. Clean is good enough.*

But I really wanna boil water.

*That's not a question, but go ahead and boil some. Make pasta, or better yet beer, but don't waste your time dunking jars. You aren't canning tomatoes, grandma.*

How much do I put in?

*JUST FILL IT. You're over thinking the problem.*

What about humidifier disks, apple wedges, orange peels, etc.

*NO.*

What about this newfangled jar, vacuum system, pricey gadget, Ziploc, Tupperware, or humidor?

*NO.* *Spend your money on tobacco. Jars are the perfect solution. Deal with it.*

Anything else I should know, grouchy?

*N-- Yes, a rare intelligent question, but I don't care for your tone. While the jars last a lifetime, the lids do not. The seals can wear out. Replace them as you see fit.*

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No offense to any of the above parties in particular, but this is a discussion that's relentlessly recycled on this board. Same questions / same answers.


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks mr grouchy!


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## JHCsci (Feb 6, 2011)

But...but...mr. grouchy...the jars I have say _Bell Jars_. Is it ok to store tobacco in them, or only bells?

Sorry...had to...

Seriously, great post because it seems a lot of people are over thinking this process.

Hmm...mason jars...can you only store _Masons_?
:frusty:


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

CWL said:


> If they're new, they should be good to go already. You aren't canning food.
> 
> Remember that tobacco gets left outside and then bundled in open warehouses for years at a time. A new glass jar is probably the cleanest place it's ever been in.


You are right sir. But just out of curiosity, A while back I came across a guide. And in the guide the guy explained how when your storing for long term you can sterilize the jars by washing them with soap and water and putting a towel over them or the jars mouth down. The reason is to keep yeast(?) particles from laching on to the jar. He also went over how you can heat the lids and add a little bit of moisture to the jars filled with tobacco. When they are filled you throw the jars in the microwave for 20 seconds or less, and then put the hot lid on it and it will can the jar. What is your thoughts on this? Im just curious.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

Sherlockholms said:


> You are right sir. But just out of curiosity, A while back I came across a guide. And in the guide the guy explained how when your storing for long term you can sterilize the jars by washing them with soap and water and putting a towel over them or the jars mouth down. The reason is to keep yeast(?) particles from laching on to the jar. He also went over how you can heat the lids and add a little bit of moisture to the jars filled with tobacco. When they are filled you throw the jars in the microwave for 20 seconds or less, and then put the hot lid on it and it will can the jar. What is your thoughts on this? Im just curious.


After I just typed all that? You're shitting me, right?


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

While one of the things I like about this forum is most of the old hands answer the same questions over and over and over without resorting to the "for God's sake do a search before you ask a question" responses you get on other forums, I have to agree with Drastic on this one. I know that the mods try to keep the stickies to a bare minimum, but this one really needs to be up there, in bold, flashing letters with a giant hand that comes out and slaps people across the face if possible. I just typed the words storing tobacco in the search box (hint, hint) and received 26, yes 26!, obviously named threads that ask questions about how to store tobacco or mason jars or other forms of storing/aging tobacco on the first two pages of the search results alone!


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

Sherlockholms said:


> You are right sir. But just out of curiosity, A while back I came across a guide. And in the guide the guy explained how when your storing for long term you can sterilize the jars by washing them with soap and water and putting a towel over them or the jars mouth down. The reason is to keep yeast(?) particles from laching on to the jar. He also went over how you can heat the lids and add a little bit of moisture to the jars filled with tobacco. When they are filled you throw the jars in the microwave for 20 seconds or less, and then put the hot lid on it and it will can the jar. What is your thoughts on this? Im just curious.


Tobacco is covered in bacteria and who knows what else. It also needs bacteria to age. If the jar smells funny, wash it out first to remove the smell. All you have to do is put the tobacco in, screw the top on tightly, and store in a dark, cool place. It really is that simple. Anything else is unnecessary.


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

So, what *is* the best way to store tobacco (just kidding Indigo and Drastic  ).



> You are right sir. But just out of curiosity, A while back I came across a guide. And in the guide the guy explained how when your storing for long term you can sterilize the jars by washing them with soap and water and putting a towel over them or the jars mouth down. The reason is to keep yeast(?) particles from laching on to the jar. He also went over how you can heat the lids and add a little bit of moisture to the jars filled with tobacco. When they are filled you throw the jars in the microwave for 20 seconds or less, and then put the hot lid on it and it will can the jar. What is your thoughts on this? Im just curious.


Everything I've seen says you don't need to wash new jars, and heck, I don't think most people wash old jars unless they are putting a different tobacco in than it stored previously. As for finding a way (other than boiling) to seal them, probably unneeded. However, if you are going to store long-term (like age for years) it probably wouldn't hurt, but short of that I wouldn't bother.


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## Zogg (Aug 31, 2010)

i just wiped some dust out and that was that *shrug*


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

drastic_quench said:


> After I just typed all that? You're shitting me, right?


Lol, my apologies. I read what you wrote, but It really did not clarify. Like I said, I was just curious. After all, opinions differ from person to person. Thanks for the info by the way.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

Sherlockholms said:


> Lol, my apologies. I read what you wrote, but It really did not clarify. Like I said, I was just curious. After all, opinions differ from person to person. Thanks for the info by the way.


Well opinions are different from facts, and you really don't need to go to all that trouble. I have never heard a single _rational_ reason to do one of these sterilization routines. Do you think the guy who picks your tobacco wears rubber gloves and a surgical mask? Let alone washes his hands after he takes a leak?

Also how has this become the theme of the month. :lol:

Ball jars actually test completely clean from the factory, as in absolutely zero organisms. Not that it matters.

By the way, whatever "guide" that came from is not something you should take seriously for tobacco jarring. Microwaving most tobacco blends is not a good idea (it affects the flavor of the blend).


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

Jack Straw said:


> By the way, whatever "guide" that came from is not something you should take seriously for tobacco jarring. Microwaving most tobacco blends is not a good idea (it affects the flavor of the blend).


I'm pretty sure he meant microwaving just the jar itself, and not really long enough to sterilize it but just enough to heat it so as to form a better seal when the lid is put on. If he meant anything else, I take back where I said it might be OK for long-term aging (i.e. years). Either way, it should be fine just to hand tighten the lid anyway so at best it isn't needed.


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

Here is the guide I came across, I guess its not really a guide but a method. I came across this when I first was getting into pipe smoking. I've never done this method, but was always wondering how effective it was.:smile:

pipemakersforum.com • View topic - Storing Tobacco

"Here's how I do it. Wish it was my idea but isn't it came from someone else, can't remember who. (slightly modified by me from the knowledge gained by years of home canning of various things), I have been putting up this way for three years. Have about 50 pounds in jars and so far haven't had a one go bad. When I open a jar it is as moist as when put away.

Buy canning jars at the supermarket, if you can't find them ask for the canning section, the brand doesn't matter. They come by the dozen with metal rings and lids. I use pint ones but many like 1/2 pints. Run the new jars through the dishwasher or if you don't have one use hot soapy water to wash each. If you hand wash rinse well and turn upside down on a clean towel on the counter. If you use a dishwasher you don't need to place on a towel, instead keep the door closed, remove one at a time and re-shut the door to keep heat in. (What you are trying to do is to keep airborne germs and yeast out of the jar before sealing.) Take the lids, not the rings, place in a sauce pan with water to cover, put on the burner. Don't boil the water but get to the right before boiling point. You want to soften the rubber in the lid so it will seal.

Take a jar, don't dry the inside but leave that little bit of moisture there it tends to help your canned tobacco retain moisture over the long haul. Pack each jar as full as possible. I use the handle of a wooden spoon to pack with. When you have as much tobacco in as you can get, place the jar without lids in the microwave for about 30 seconds, just long enough to heat the jar and tobacco but not long enough to change the taste of the tobacco. For me thirty secs seems to be about right. Remove jar and immediately place one of the heated lids in place. Take a ring and screw it hand tight. Sit aside, in two or three minutes you will hear a pop as the air inside the jar cools and the lid seals.

That's it. If you follow these instructions you won't have any trouble. Don't open the jar until you are ready to use it because if you remove the lid to check on the tobacco it won't reseal properly.

bob gilbert"


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

Sherlockholms said:


> Here is the guide I came across, I guess its not really a guide but a method. I came across this when I first was getting into pipe smoking. I've never done this method, but was always wondering how effective it was.:smile:
> 
> pipemakersforum.com • View topic - Storing Tobacco
> 
> ...


Yeah, basically you want to ignore just about everything he had to say. It seems like what he said in the beginning, that it is based on his experience canning things (i.e. food) and it is not based on good tobacco storage principles, is certainly true.

Heating the tobacco is a BIG no-no. Cleaning the new jars ahead of time- unnecessary. Packing the tobacco in the jars before they dried- do you really want to add _more_ moisture, many tobaccos come too wet already, and they shouldn't dry out very quickly (if at all) when stored in good jars. Heating the lid so you have a good totally airtight seal- needed when canning food, unneeded (and possibly a negative) when storing tobacco.

So, again, you may want to ignore that method. Other than heating the tobacco, you _may_ not have a negative result, but when you make it totally airtight and kill off all the bacteria you have stopped the aging process and storing tobacco long-term isn't only about keeping it fresh, it is about aging it until it is at its best.


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

Neeto, thanks guys for clearing that up.


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